Betrayed: A Family Apart
by Super Metal Sonic
Summary: AU Beast Wars. The Beast Wars start, as Optimus Primal soon learns that he will face one of the difficult of hardships.


**Betrayed: A Family Apart**

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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Cybertron. The steel towers of Cybertropolis, a place where transformers climb to the top to see the majestic view of the city. It is at this very moment a hand reaches the top of the Steel tower, soon followed by the rest of the mech, the rays of the sun glinting off his purple and black metal body. The mech grinned in triumph and then turned and looked down.A few feet from reaching the top, a blue and grey mech was climbing up behind him, the blue mech sighed in exhaustion as he wiped the brow of his helmeted head.

"Come on Primal," the Purple mech said, "You can move faster then that". Optimus Primal looked up at the other mech with a smile, "Easy for you to say MaxTreadverum." Primal said, "Your not exhausted from running the way over here" he then reached out to grab the next handgrip when suddenly his foot slipped and he fell.

Optimus' optics widened in shock and he then closed them, but MaxTreadverum quickly grabbed Primal's hand and then pulled him up.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" MaxTreadverum said, the British like accent in his voice strong, "Wear a Safety Line when you're climbing this high, unless you're a flyer"

"Sorry" Optimus said, looking down at his feet. MaxTreadverum then smiled slightly and put a hand on Optimus' shoulder, "Don't worry about it, I was here to help. Just remember that your big brother won't always be around to help you out." MaxTreadverum said.

Optimus nodded and then turned to look down at the city, MaxTreadverum turned and watched as well, "Someday" Optimus said; "Someday I will be able to fly, you'll see" he then smiled.

MaxTreadverum grinned and then looked down at the watched built into his forearm, "Slag!" he said, "We were suppose to meet our parents in the next Mega Cycle. We have to hurry!"

After quickly climbing down the tower and speeding off as fast as their Alt modes could allow, the two brothers soon reached the Transport station where two older transformers were waiting for the two.

"There you two are" the mech said, "About time you got here! It's almost time for your transport to leave MaxTreadverum"

"Sorry," MaxTreadverum said, he then gave the femme and then the mech a hug, "Bye Mom, Dad. I'll miss you all"

Optimus nodded, "Good luck Bro, hope you make it back safe",

"Don't worry Primal, I'll just be going to the Kelis sector to help with the restoration there" MaxTreadverum said, he then walked up to the station doors and turned back and waved good bye, "Goodbye. I'll make you proud of me"

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_Ten years later,_

Optimus Primal groaned as he stood up, holding his head. His ship, the Axalon has just crashed on a strange planet after a space battle with the Darkside, a ship belonging to a Predacon criminal known as Megatron.

"Damage report?" Primal asked the youngest of his crew, still aboard the ship, the rest in stasis pods orbiting the planet and Protoform X as well.

"Believe me, you don't want to know" the young mech replied.

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"NO" Dinobot growled angrily as he looked at the golden disk "This is not Earth. Not only did you failed to destroy the Maximals when you had the chance, you failed to lead us to the right planet you idiot!" The Predacons, all in their newly acquired Beast modes, looked round at Dinobot as he flung the disk at the Purple T-rex.

"I beg your pardon," the T-Rex said, "What did you say?"

"You heard me Megatron" Dinobot growled, "You are incompetent to be Leader! Dinobot Terrorize!" He then transformed to robot mode and drew a segmented sword and rotor blade weapon,

"I challenge you for Leadership of the Predacons. The loser shall be destroyed!" Dinobot growled as he watched Megatron transform to bot mode.

Megatron looked down at the shorter mech through the eyeholes of the black bone-like mask he was wearing to hid his face, "Oh Dinobot," he chuckled, "It takes more then bravery and brute straight to lead, Yesss. Why, it takes intelligence and cunning, isn't that right Scorponok?" he said, stepping aside to revealed the Scorpion Predacon as he finishes transforming.

Dinobot opened his mouth in a mixture of shock and surprise as Scorponok fired at him and sent the raptor flying out of sight.

"Loser," Megatron said, a grin on his mouth, the only part of his head which the mask didn't cover, "What matters if this isn't Earth? The planet has Energon and that is all that matters." He then turned to the remaining Predacons, "Search the surround areas. If the Maximals have survived the crash, destroy them!"

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Primal looked at the land that surround the ship and then at his hand. The planet was rich in Energon. Too rich and prolonged exposure to the planet's atmosphere in robot form would result in serious harm. So the Axalon computer had selected and modified them with Beast mode to protect them. Optimus had been giving the form of a gorilla.

"Ech. All this for a gold disc!" Rattrap moaned as he walked up to Primal.

"It was one of Cybertron's most carefully guarded secrets and mapped the location to a large energon source." Optimus replied, "It's our mission to stop Megatron and retrieve the disk"

"Yeah well," Rattrap said, "You sure you're cut up to this commander gig?"

Primal sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Remember the Great War, Rattrap?" he said, "If Megatron get enough energon he can start it all over again. Besides you wanted to explore and here we are on an uncharted world, what more could you want?"

"Well, how about a working ship?"

"Just no pleasing some people." Primal said with a smile.

"Whoa!" Cheetor, the youngest of the Maximal crew said as he saw two cheetahs, the animal his beast mode was based on, running past the Maximals.

"They're fast alright," Primal said, "You made a wise choice"

"You think that's fast?" Cheetor said with a smirk, "Check this out" he then speed off after the cheetahs,

"Cheetor! Wait!" Optimus said, but Cheetor was already long gone. He then tried to contact the cat bot by his communicator.

"It's no good" Rhinox, the crew's scientist said, walking up in his rhinoceros form, "The energon fields jam the radio waves. If it's over five hundred miles, it's not wroth scrap"

"So… is this your first day or what?"

"Shut up Rattrap!" Optimus said,

"Oh yes sir!" the Rat said, standing on his hind legs and saluting Primal, "I can see we're in great hands." He then looked at Rhinox and said, "We're all gonna die!"

Optimus sighed. He looked at Rattrap and Rhinox and wished that MaxTreadverum was here to help him. At this Primal sighed some more, it has been seven years now since he and the rest of the family had heard from him, he remembered as how his mother broke in to tears and his father's mournful silence as they were told by the Maximal in charge of restoration project that MaxTreadverum had vanished six weeks after his last message to the family.

Looking up Primal saw the explosions of gunfire

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Arriving to assist Cheetor in his battle against Waspinator, Optimus said "Don't worry Cheetor, we'll swat that Predacon"

"I think not!"

Primal saw four more Predacons appear over at the ledge at the other side of the ditch Cheetor was in, "Megatron!" Optimus said, "What is the meaning of this! We Maximals and Predacons have lived in peace for centuries, why risk starting the war all over?"

"Peace on your side, Maximal!" Megatron sneered, "but not ours! Permit me to inform you that an enemy that acts peacefully may simply be biding their time." He continued, "While you Maximals lived peacefully, we Predacon have not giving our rightful destiny, all this time we have been plotting, waiting for the right moment TO STRIKE!"

"You mean like this!" Cheetor said, stepping out from behind his cover and fired at Megatron.

"CHEETOR!" Optimus yelled.

Megatron chuckled as he shrugged the attack off, "A sneaky underhanded attack. Oh, I like you pussy cat, yesss" he said, "The gauntlet has been cast, PREDACONS! TERRORIZE!"

"MAXIMALS! MAXIMIZE!" Optimus ordered as each mech transformed to robot mode.

"Scorponok! Terrorize!"

"Rhinox! Maximize!"

"Terrorsaur! Terrorize!"

"Rattrap! Maximize!"

"Tarantulas! Terrorize!"

"Optimus Primal! Maximize!"

Megatron blinked as he heard the name and watched as the Maximal leader transformed. _No, _he thought_, what is he doing here? _He then narrowed his eyes and transformed as well, "Obliterate them!" he order the Predacons and fired at Primal.

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Later, Primal sighed as he and the Maximals headed back to base. They had managed to escape form the battle when the Predacons started to suffer from the high energon levels and were forced to transform back to beast mode.

As he walked Optimus' thoughts returned to Megatron. There was something familiar about the masked Predacon's voice, if only he could have seen Megatron's face. Then, maybe he would know what was so familiar.

Soon, the Maximals found their path blocked by Dinobot, who challenged Primal for leadership of the Maximals, bit the fight ended when the Predacon have returned to renew their attack.

Optimus Primal looked up at Megatron and growled at the tyrant. Once the Maximals were on firm land, the Predacons swooped down and attacked them.

Megatron had managed to isolate Optimus from the others. The gorilla mech could see the battle between his Maximals and the Predacons up from the ravine ledge that Megatron had lead him up.

"Well now, Primal" Megatron said, advancing on Optimus, "This looks like the end for you and your Maximals"

"Never Megatron!" Optimus said and drew one of his swords, "as long as there is still a spark within me, I will not rest till your plans are stopped!"

Optimus charged towards Megatron and raised the sword up to block Megatron's attack. Megatron then brought his fist up and punched Optimus in the jaw. Primal stagger back but managed to steady himself as Megatron stomped forward to strike again.

Placing both hands on the grip of his sword, Optimus gave a yell as he swung the sword up as thunder filled the air, hitting Megatron.

The Predacon Tyrant fall back, face first into the ground as his mask sailed in to the air by the force of Primal's blow and landed on the ground.

"It is over Megatron!" Optimus said, his sword by his side as it began to rain,

"Yessss," Megatron said, "The time to hide is over" the purple mech then turned his head and face the Maximal leader.

Optimus' optics widened in shock and disbelief, the sword almost dropping out of his hand as he sees the Predacon criminal's face,

"MaxTreadverum?!?"

"That name means nothing to me" the Predacon commander said standing up, "I am Megatron now"

"MaxTreadverum, why are you doing this? This is not like you!" Optimus said, as he stared in to the optics of the mech that was his brother.

"You don't understand Primal! Your optics are as closed as the other Maximals!" Megatron said as the rain came down harder, "While I was on the restoration project, I saw how most of the Predacons lived. They were treated as second rate and the Maximal Elders did nothing!"

"No!" Optimus said, "Your wrong. That was what the restoration project was for remember? To help the Predacons"

"It was merely a cover story to draw suspicion away from them!" Megatron yelled, "I saw there and then what needed to be done. I renounced my Maximal allegiance and choose a new name for myself, one that will put the Predacon to their rightful place!"

"BY KILLING PEOPLE?!" Optimus said, remembering the report on the guards that were killed in the Golden Disk theft.

"They were necessary sacrifices in order to right the wrong the Maximals have handed the Predacons" Megatron remarked, his face stern and remorseless.

"You can't do this!" Optimus said, the rain mixing with his tears, "You're my brother. I beg of you, please stop this"

Megatron turned his head and remained silent; "It is to late to stop now" he said and fired at Optimus with his T- Rex cannon.

Optimus dodged the shoot and looked sorrowful at Megatron, "Then this is how it has to be," he said as he drew his second sword and prepared to battle.

Megatron lunged and fired at Optimus as the Maximal leaped into the air.

Optimus brought both swords down, cutting into the synthetic skin of Megatron's T-Rex head. Megatron growled and kicked at Primal, who landed on his feet and fired his shoulder cannons, knocking Megatron back.

"MaxTreadverum, please." Optimus said, "I'm asking you, give your self up. It's over"

Megatron looked up at Optimus and then down at the ravine behind him, "I won't let myself be taking in to face trail, Primal. If my plans must die then so shall I!" he then threw himself over the edge.

"MaxTreadverum!" Optimus yelled and, without a second thought, leaped after him.

The Maximals and Predacons stopped in their fights as they saw their leaders falling. Megatron glared up at Optimus and snarled, "You fool! You doomed yourself to death!"

Optimus didn't listen; he simply forced on trying to activate his jets for his flight capability, "Prime Jets! Online!" he yelled, his jets roared into life as Optimus flew after the falling Predacon.

"NO!" Megatron yelled and fired at Optimus, "I will not have your help!" Optimus dodged and increased his speed.

Reaching a hand out, Optimus managed to grab Megatron's foot and lifted him to safety.

The Predacons gathered round their leader as Optimus dropped him.

"MaxTreadverum" Optimus said as he landed on the ground, "You have to stop this. This war will only lead to death and suffering for others"

Megatron stood up and looked Optimus in the optics. He then turned and said, "Predacons! Return to the base!"

Optimus sighed as he watched the Predacons walk away. Megatron stopped and turned to face Optimus, "Farewell Optimus Primal. When we meet again, it will be as enemies"

Optimus looked on, tears and rain running down his face as he watched the Predacon leader walked away. The mech that was now his mortal enemy, nemesis. His brother.

The End... for now.


End file.
